FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF NANO-PARTICLE BASED CURCUMIN DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

AbstractCurcumin, the principal bioactive polyphenolic compound derived from Curcuma longa(turmeric), exhibits remarkable pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory,antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. Despite its therapeutic potential, curcuminfaces significant formulation challenges including poor aqueous solubility (~30nM), lowbioavailability, rapid metabolism, and chemical instability (1). This thesis presents acomprehensive investigation into nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems designed toovercome these limitations. Various nanocarrier platforms including solid lipid nanoparticles(SLNs), polymeric nanoparticles (PLGA-based), liposomes, and nano-emulsions aresystematically evaluated for their ability to enhance curcumin's solubility, stability, andtherapeutic efficacy. The research encompasses formulation optimization, physicochemicalcharacterization, in vitro release studies, and biological evaluation (2). Results demonstratethat nanoencapsulation significantly improves curcumin's pharmaceutical properties, withoptimized formulations achieving particle sizes below 200 nm, entrapment efficienciesexceeding 85%, and sustained release profiles extending beyond 72 hours (3). The findingsestablish nanoparticle-based delivery systems as promising platforms for translatingcurcumin's therapeutic potential into clinical applications (4).